The readiness is all

Out of Africa, Leeds, Farnham n Philly

If this blog were my child I have a suspicion the social services would have been round for an early morning raid - disgraceful neglect! Not without cause (yeah, yeah, they've heard it all before...)

It's been...busy. Spent a great week working with Tobin in Philly filming material for the new SharpWire show, Cremenville - we gave work-in-progress performances up in Leeds as part of Opera North's Resonance 3 and at the marvellous Farnham Maltings. The project was blessed by a fantastic team and some fantastic support - YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! Thank you! Had the pleasure of sharing the bill in Leeds with Joe Townsend and Co.

Haydn C Major and Elgar with the sky-soaring Orchestra of the Swan - Errollyn's  concerto looks like it's heading for a May premiere next year. Hang on to your hats...

Just got back from Jo'burg and Bulawayo - INTENSE and UPLIFTING festival  and some bush-whacking. Leslie Howard (The Doctor), Ben Nabarro, Ania Safanova and Michael Brownlee Walker were just some of my flaming-fingered, marathon-stamina'd colleagues...what a time!

And off to Helsinki in 10 days to begin work on a duet with dancer/choreographer, Satu Elovaara - if things go well may well come to London next year.

So...busy...

Virgin and the Vorpal Sword

Sir Richard may well be writing to me personally to express his gratitude for my unstinting patronage of his train company over the last couple of weeks - the Star Trek Loos and handy laptop/mobile plug-fittings are, if not the sole spur to my lavishments, an attractive boon and welcome diversion to solitary hours spent hurtling from pillar to post of this sceptr'd, and from the perspective of Spock's Bog, decidedly sceptic isle. Conversation has also flowed - Paul, Stephanie Gonley's cousin, a photographer from Belfast (beautiful portfolio) and Marina, an art history lecturer from Manchester were all fine and intriguing interlocutors.

And certain things have come to a close - the JabberFest reached a sensational climax and Compose Yourself - an Orchestra of the Swan/Dartington Plus collaboration - rocked the Ariel Centre. The KEVICC Crew, Errollyn and I were joined by DLP, Cathy, Tom Martin and John Harle...talk about lavishments! And a dream came true - Errollyn has been commissioned to write a concerto for me and the Orchestra of the Swan. It'll premiere and tour next March with a performance down in Dartington. All praise and wonder!

This week's Virgin Viaggio ended in Bollington - near my cousin Simon in Macclesfield - with a recital of French Music...those Duparc songs are something else! Richard Shaw (piano) and Emma Williams (flute) were my absinthe-inspired colleagues - thank you and chin chin!

Cedric Softpalette III and the Art of Wafting

Jephtha wafted to Caerphilly last week for another Songlines. Fab'lous participants! Wrote some great tunes - 'Love's Mystery' lingers on - and put on a show to be proud of. I was sorry to leave the valleys this morning. Recitalling with Viv next Sunday March 12th at Holy Innocents Church, Hammersmith, 4pm start. Radiantly chaste and hopelessly defiled alike, MORE than welcome - songs to change your life by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Strauss, followed by the Beethoven G minor Sonata, Martinu Slovak Variations and Shostakovich Sonata. What else are you going to do on a Sunday afternoon??

The only Figaro in THIS village...

Last week was extraordinary! Exotic travel itinerary (Cardiff and Sidmouth), unforgettable WNO Max Songlines project and a rollercoaster seaside recital with the inimitable Viv McLean. Mozart's Figaro was the launch-pad for the Songlines project. Marvellous workshop team (Lynne, Tara, Patrick, Matt, Craig, Emma...you KNOW who you are!!) and breath-taking participants from Merthyr Tydfil College. Are you digging my hyperbole??!! Well, the Wales Millenium Centre couldn't get enough of it. Merthyr has an angle on Figaro that we ALL need to hear about. Stockholm on Wednesday, then back to Cardiff for Jeptha - looking forward to working with Errollyn, Claire Williamson and Ros Evans. 'Ah tutti contenti...'

Gallery of Rogues

Photo album is gradually taking shape. Peep, gander, butcher's 'ook - be my guests. Hope it's flavoursome.

SharpWire Pulse

Some news and some raising and tooting of flutes - Pete M Wyer and I (SharpWire) have just signed a deal with Thirsty Ear Records. Our disc, Rain at Night, will be released this September. And it looks like the show we've been developing in collaboration with Opera North's Resonance Programme - Cremenville - will have a work-in-progress showing at the end of May...Stay tuned, pop some corks and let the bubbles take you there...

Lobster Quadrille

The Way of the Blogger is slowly dawning...my beamish boy! Been a Carrollian week of Elgar, Jabberwocky and Music Moves - the first of a 6-session module of my own devising unfolding at a Conservatoire Near You! To those who've already stumbled upon this BlogSpot - logging on and reading your comments is a sheer bloody delight - thank you; and to those who may stumble in the future - I'm shivering with anticip...

I had some 11th hour luck last week in the shape of a Nicolo Gagliano cello kindly lent to me by Florian Leonhard - glamorous, shiny, beguiling sound!! It's a Siren for a Large-Hearted Philanthropist - I'm hoping that its song falls on open, ravishable ears!!!

Life is a Cabaret

Wilkommen, Bienvenue...great to be here, thanks for having me...where are we? I am Virgin Blogger and full of anticipation. I have JohnCello ManHarnett to thank for Opening the Door - thank you John! Bill Hicks, Edward Elgar, Robert Le Page and Bob Fosse's wonderful movie of Cabaret have been figuring in my internal weblog this week - now THAT's a cocktail! I like the way this ball is rolling...